3 and out: Manuel had time to throw the ball

Bills QB EJ Manuel threw for 245 yards and a TD in a 37-14 win over the Jets.

1. Can the Bills offensive line win battles with the Jets superb defensive line? The really weird thing about this game is the Jets run defense was outstanding, as it has been all year. They caved in the Bills' offensive line almost all day on running plays, and the Bills couldn't get anything going on the ground. The difference was the line stood up to the Jets pass rush, and gave EJ Manuel time to throw the ball, and the rookie had his best game to date. It's not too often the Bills get outrushed by 66 yards and win by 23 points. Crazy.

2. Can EJ Manuel earn a season split with fellow rookie QB Geno Smith? He did, in resounding fashion. Manuel was lousy in the first game at New York, but he wasn't nearly as horrible as Smith was in this game, so the top two QBs picked in the 2013 draft get a split, and I'd have to give the edge to Manuel based on the cumulative two-game package. Manuel had two TD passes and no interceptions in the two games, Smith had two TDs and five picks. Manuel threw for 488 yards, Smith 434. Manuel surprised me by how well he threw the ball despite the gusty winds that blew all day. He needed a bounce-back after the debacle in Pittsburgh, and he got it. Now, the trick is to keep building. Bad time for a bye week.

3. Will Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine avoid another embarrassment administered by his old team? Pettine never pulls any punches. He told me the first game, when the Jets put up 513 yards of total offense, hurt him, and he also said Sunday's result was a little extra special. That was the Bills' best defensive showing since he became the DC, and it looked at times like he knew exactly what the Jets were going to do. Pettine's well-conceived blitz packages had Smith flustered all day - or for as long as he was in the game - and for the first time in a very long time, maybe since Perry Fewell's days as the DC, this Buffalo defense looks formidable. Now, the flip side is this: It was Geno Smith, so perhaps we should temper the enthusiasm just a bit.

? and Out

For the first time all season, the Bills put together a truly sound performance on both offense and defense, and the result was a resounding triumph over a division opponent. Buffalo's three previous victories came by a total of six points, but this 23-point flogging of the Jets was directly attributable to a smart plan on both sides of the ball. I liked how the defense dialed up the pressure, knowing that Geno Smith has really struggled on the road, and would have a tough time in the windy conditions, too. Mike Pettine's troops basically embarrassed him into a 10.1 passer rating (seventh-lowest ever against the Bills) before he was benched. On offense, the Bills attacked the Jets downfield, paying little heed to the wind, and EJ Manuel produced his finest performance as a pro. It was shocking to me that Manuel threw the ball as well as he did given the conditions, and it's certainly good to know that the Florida kid handled the elements, at least for a day. Now, the next test will be to play in cold weather, but we won't get to see that until the last two games of the year.

Numbers ?

3 - Players in Bills history who have had at least five career multi-interceptions games. Jairus Byrd had his fifth, tying Billy Atkins. Tom Janik had six. Both Atkins and Janik, though, played only in the AFL for the Bills.

7.5 - Sacks for Kyle Williams, a new career-high.

1 - Team in NFL history to alternate wins and losses over the first 10 games of a season, which the Jets have done to start 2013.

Jets coach Rex Ryan on the play of Geno Smith: "I don't think it's fair to just place it on him. With our protections, you could have had Joe Namath back there and I don't think it would have mattered today. Obviously, you turn it over four times, that's a poor performance by our offense. We have to have a hard look at what we're doing, but I would say Geno is our starting quarterback against Baltimore next week."

Jets QB Geno Smith: "The way I can sum up this game for myself is awful. I know that I can play better. I know this isn't who I am or what I want to be."

Jets CB Kyle Wilson: "At the end of the day it always comes back down to making plays, so we came up short today and we just have to figure out how to put ourselves in a little better position."

Injury report ...

? RB Fred Jackson re-injured his left knee, but he was able to return to the game.

? WR Stevie Johnson was inactive due to a groin injury.

? WR Robert Woods was inactive for the second straight game due to a high ankle sprain.

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3 and out: Manuel had time to throw the ball

It's not too often the Bills get outrushed by 66 yards and win by 23 points.